This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Teressa Payne MacNeille for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

What exactly does it mean to be a graphic designer? Better yet, how do you become a graphic designer? Teressa Payne MacNeille, a graphic designer for Exceptional Media, Inc. in New York City, has the answer.

“Everywhere you cast your gaze you see the work of graphic designers, from newspapers, books, and album covers, to digital ads and colorful product package designs,” said Terissa Payne MacNeille. She goes on to talk about how a graphic designer needs more than just a “good eye” and that graphic designers require a unique mix of skills.

Being a graphic designer is more than just being able to draw shapes on a computer. Designers require a unique mix of talent, mixing illustration, typography, and photography to create stunning images in all formats, such as book covers, products, and posters.

So maybe you have a good eye for design, you can draw exceptionally well, and you are versed in typography and illustration, this still doesn’t always mean you will be a good graphic designer. Terissa Payne MacNeille describes the perfect graphic designers as someone who relies “on a mix of illustration, typography, and photographic images and posses the unique skill set to bring these disparate elements together so they can form a cohesive whole.”

Graphic designers are more than just artists; they are designers who have a knack for creating works of arts out of very little. They can create images out just text, they have passion for art in all forms, and they have more than just a good eye. Becoming a graphic designer takes time, patience, and a lot of practice. You can’t just become a great graphic designer overnight.

If you want to become a graphic designer, start small and work your way up. Follow the works of designers who inspire you. Talk with others about how they started and what you can do to better yourself and your art.